Immersion Heater Replacement & Repair
Immersion heater thermostats, wiring faults and burnt-out or seized elements, repaired or replaced on the same visit.
Unvented Hot Water Cylinders, Fitted and Fixed
Mains-pressure hot water cylinders installed, repaired, checked and replaced by a plumber for whom unvented work is the speciality, not a sideline.
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Pressurised Cylinders Are Norbert's Speciality
Unvented cylinders are Norbert's speciality, not a sideline. Here is what goes wrong with a pressurised cylinder, what each safety device does and why the annual check matters.
Signs It Is Time To Call
- Water dripping or running through the tundish
- Hot water pressure that surges or drops
- Banging or loud noises as the cylinder heats
- Water pooling around the base of the cylinder
- Hot water from the discharge pipe outside
- No record of a safety check in the past year
A job many plumbers will not touch
Unvented cylinders are sealed and fed straight from the mains, which is why they give strong flow to every tap and shower. A general plumber will often decline the job, and installation rules are strict for good reason.
- The hot water specialism Norbert names first
- Treated differently from a vented tank with a loft cistern
- Installed, repaired and replaced across Kent, Medway, Surrey, Sussex and south-east London
What goes wrong with them
Almost every fault involves a control that keeps pressure and temperature in check. Less often the cylinder body fails or the immersion element burns out, which immersion heater repair covers on its own page.
- A flat expansion vessel spikes pressure and discharges through the tundish
- A worn pressure reducing valve lets too much mains pressure through
- Relief valves with worn seats drip continuously
What the annual check is for
Manufacturers ask for a yearly check, and most make it a condition of their warranty. It is a short visit that catches a flat vessel or a weeping valve before it becomes water on the floor.
- Each safety valve tested
- Expansion vessel recharged, incoming pressure and reducing valve confirmed
- Tundish and discharge route inspected
Installation and replacement
Installation means more than standing a new unit in a cupboard. Replacing an old vented cylinder with an unvented one often frees up the loft too. If a cylinder has let go, stop the cold feed and call.
- Mains checked for pressure and flow, safety controls fitted and set
- Discharge pipe run to a safe point, then the system commissioned
- Damp with no obvious source? Leak detection traces it
- One year warranty on parts and labour on all unvented work
Why people ring Norbert
20+
Years in plumbing1 year
Warranty on parts and labour24/7
Emergency call-out1
Plumber, start to finish
What the job covers
Unvented cylinder installation
Fitting a new unvented cylinder, including the safety controls, discharge pipework and commissioning.
Hot water cylinder replacement
Removing a failed vented or unvented cylinder and fitting a new unvented unit in its place.
Valve and vessel repairs
Replacing pressure reducing valves, expansion relief valves, temperature relief valves and failed expansion vessels.
Annual safety check
Testing the safety devices, checking vessel charge and incoming pressure, and inspecting the discharge route.
Leaks and discharge faults
Tracing why a cylinder is dripping from the tundish or discharge pipe, and fixing the cause.
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Unvented Cylinder Installation & Repair in pictures
How a job with Norbert runs
No call centre and no hand-offs. The same man takes the call, quotes the work and does it.
- 01
You call or send the form
Tell Norbert what is happening. He rings back himself to ask the questions that matter before anyone drives out.
- 02
He comes out and quotes
He looks at the job, explains what has failed and what the fix involves, and gives you the quote before work starts.
- 03
The work is done and tested
Fixed, tested and cleaned up, with a one year warranty on parts and labour for the work he has done.
Often needed alongside unvented cylinder installation & repair
Leak Detection
Hidden water leaks located with thermal imaging and acoustic equipment, so the repair starts in the right place.
Emergency Plumber
A 24-hour emergency call-out for burst pipes, flooding leaks and backed-up drains, answered by Norbert himself.
Unvented Cylinder Installation & Repair: questions answered
01What is an unvented hot water cylinder?
It is a sealed hot water cylinder fed directly from the cold mains, rather than from a tank in the loft. Because it runs at mains pressure, it gives strong showers and taps all over the house. Being sealed and pressurised, it also relies on a set of safety devices to control pressure and temperature, which is why it needs more care than an old vented tank.
02Why is water dripping from the tundish?
The tundish is the open funnel on the discharge pipe, there so you can see when a safety valve is letting water out. A drip usually means the expansion vessel has lost its charge, the pressure reducing valve is letting too much pressure through, or a relief valve has a worn seat. Water running hot through it is more serious and should be looked at promptly.
03What does an annual unvented cylinder check involve?
Norbert tests the expansion relief and temperature relief valves, checks and recharges the expansion vessel, confirms the incoming pressure and that the reducing valve is holding it, and inspects the tundish and discharge pipe. Most manufacturers require a yearly check to keep their warranty valid, and it catches the small faults that otherwise end in a leak or a discharge.
04Can I fit my own unvented cylinder?
No. Installing an unvented cylinder is notifiable building work under the Building Regulations, and it has to be carried out by someone competent to install unvented systems. The safety controls exist to stop a sealed vessel of hot water overpressurising, and a mistake with them is dangerous. It is not a job for a DIY weekend.
05Should I repair my unvented cylinder or replace it?
Most faults are in the valves and vessel, and those parts are replaceable, so repair is usually the answer. Replacement makes sense when the cylinder itself is leaking from its body or a weld, when it is heavily corroded, or when it is old enough that parts are hard to find. Norbert will tell you which applies, and why.
06Can a vented cylinder be swapped for an unvented one?
Often, yes, if the incoming mains has enough pressure and flow to feed it. Norbert checks both before recommending the change, because an unvented cylinder on a weak supply gives disappointing results. The swap also means running a proper discharge pipe to a safe outside point and, in many cases, removing the old loft tanks.
Tell Norbert what needs doing
A line about the job is enough. Norbert reads every enquiry himself and rings you back to talk it through before he quotes.
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